Sandra Stauffer is Professor of Music in Music Education at Arizona State University where she teaches both undergraduate and graduate courses. She is also Associate Dean for Academic Personnel for the Herberger Institute for Design and the Arts.

Sandy's research interests include creating in music, children and music, place and place philosophy, narrative inquiry, and arts-based research. Her recent publications focus on children and adolescents as creators of their own music, and the potential of place-conscious thinking in music teaching and learning. Her work includes collaborations with various educators, organizations, and musicians, including work with composer Morton Subotnick on the development of his software programs for children. She is co-author and co-editor with Margaret Barrett (University of Queensland) of two books on narrative and music: Narrative in Music Education: Troubling Certainty (2009), and Narrative Soundings: An Anthology of Narrative Inquiry in Music Educatoin.

In addition to her work in musical creating, place, and narrative, Sandy has authored articles on music listening, general music education, and music teacher preparation. She was a contributing author for the Music Connection textbook series, a primary author for the Silver Burdett Making Music series widely used in K-8 schools, and a contributing author for interactive MUSIC, a powered Silver Burdett and Alfred. Her work also includes materials for orchestra education programs and other community music groups, as well as collaborations with other music software developers. A general music specialist, Sandy is active as a guest lecturer in the US and abroad, and as a clinician and consultant for music education events and curriculum projects.

Sandy was the first Evelyn Smith Professor of Music (2003-2006) at ASU, and she currently serves as coordinator of graduate studies in music education. Prior to joining the ASU faculty, she was a faculty member and Coordinator of the Music Education Division at the Peabody Conservatory of Music in Baltimore. Sandy has taught general, choral, and instrumental music in the public schools of Pennsylvania, Michigan, and Virginia. She is a graduate of West Chester University (PA) and the University of Michigan.

Stauffer, S. L. (Publication pending). Technology, sound, and the tuning of place. In R. Mantie & A. Ruthmann, Eds., The Oxford Handbook of Technology and Music Education. New York: Oxford University Press.

Stauffer, S. L. (2014). Narrative inquiry and the uses of narrative in music education research. In C. Conway, Ed., Oxford Handbook of Qualitative Research in American Music Education (pp. 163-185). New York: Oxford University Press.

Stauffer, S. L. (2007). Constant and change: The political and the social in shaping curriculum: A response to “The History and Development of Elementary Music Education in Canada: A Curricular Perspective” (R. Beatty). In K. Veblen & C. Beynon (Eds. with S. Horsley, U. DeAlwiss, & A. Heywood), From sea to sea: Perspectives on music education in Canada. Ebook, retrieved at: http://ir.lib.uwo.ca/musiceducationE-books/1/

Stauffer, S. L. (2007). Points of intersection and the problems of agency and place in assessment and creativity in music. In C. C. Leung, R. L. C. Yip, & T. Imada (Eds.), Music Education Policy and Implementation: International Perspectives. Hirosaki University Press.

Stauffer, S. L. (2003). Identity and voice in young composers. In M. Hickey, (Ed.), Why and how to teach music composition: A new horizon for music education (pp. 91-111). Reston, VA: MENC: The National Association for Music Education.

Stauffer, S. L. (1994). Say yes to music electives, say no to elective music. In J. Hinckley (Ed.), General music in the middle school. Reston, VA: Music Educators National Conference.

Baxter, S. G. & Stauffer, S. L. (1988). Music teaching: A review of common practice. In C. Fowler (Ed.), The Crane symposium: Toward an understanding of the teaching and learning of performance skills (pp. 49-62). Potsdam, NY: Potsdam College of the State University College of New York.

Rickels, D. A. & Stauffer, S. L. (2010). Access, equity, and effectiveness: Challenging the music education paradigm. Proceedings of the 23rd International Research Seminar of the International Society for Music Education, Changchun, China, July 2010.

Stauffer, S. L. (2009). When children create music using technology. The Orff Echo, 42 (1), 30-33.

Stauffer, S. L. (2007). Place, people, purpose: Persistent and productive tensions in music and teacher education. In Rideout, R. (Ed.) Policies and practices: Rethinking music teacher preparation in the 21st century [Proceedings from the Memorial Symposium Honoring the Contributions of Charles Leonhard] (pp. 77-94). Amherst, MA: University of Massachusetts.

Stauffer, S. L. (2002). Connections between music and life experiences of young composers and their compositions. Journal of Research in Music Education, 50, 301-322.

Stauffer, S. L. (2002). Revisiting revision in children’s composition processes. [Abstract.] Proceedings of the seventh international conference on music perception & cognition. [CD-ROM]. Sydney, Australia: University of New South Wales.

Stauffer, S. L. (2001). Composing with computers: Meg makes music. Bulletin of the Council for Research in Music Education, 150, 1-20.

Stauffer, S. L. (2001). Pre-service and in-service teachers’ perceptions of children and adolescents as composers. In Y. Minami & M. Shinzanoh, (Eds.), Proceedings of the third Asia-Pacific symposium on music education research & international symposium on Üragoeí and gender, Volume 1 (pp. 159-164). Nagoya, Japan: Aichi Arts Center.

Stauffer, S. L. (1999). Reform in education: Response to Saxe and Bracey. In P. T. Tallarico (Ed.), Reform in education: The Bowling Green State University symposium on music teaching and research (pp. 33-35). Bowling Green, OH: Bowling Green State University.

Stauffer, S. L. (1999). Sociological and cultural cues in the compositions of children and adolescents. In Barrett, M. S., McPherson, G. E., and Smith, R. (Eds.), Children and music: Developmental perspectives. (Proceedings of the Second Asia-Pacific Symposium on Music Education Research). Launceston, Tasmania: University of Tasmania.

Stauffer, S. L. (1994). The Reston symposium: The “vision” one year later. General Music Today, 8 (1), 20-22.

Stauffer, S. L., & Saunders, T. C. (1992). The middle school model and general music. General Music Today, 6(1), 6-10.

Policy Documents

Charleroy, A., Frederickson, J. A. G., Jenson, A., McKenna, S., Thomas, A. (2012). Child development and arts education: A review of current research and best practice. New York, NY: The College Board, Office of Academic Initiatives. (Contributing author.) http://nccas.wikispaces.com/Child+Development+Research

Reviews and Columns

Stauffer, S. L. (2016). Report of the dissertation and public defense of the dissertation by Sari Muhonen: Songcrafting practice: A teacher inquiry into the potential to support collaborative creating and creative agency within school music education. Finnish Journal of Music Education.

Stauffer, S. L (2012). Review of Songs in Their Heads: Music and Its Meaning in Children’s Lives, 2nd edition. [Patricia Shehan Campbell. Oxford University Press, 2010. (307 pages).] Journal of Historical Research in Music Education, 34(1), 81-86.

Stauffer, S. L. (2007). Review of International Handbook of Research in Arts Education, L. Bresler, Ed. Research Studies in Music Education, 29, 79-81.

Stauffer, S. L. (2001). Preface. In Niebur, L., Incorporating assessment and the national standards in music education into everyday teaching. New York: Mellen Press.

Stauffer, S. L. (1995). Composing a career as a university faculty member. In N. Gutierrez (Ed.), Faculty Roles at a Research Institution. Tempe, AZ: Arizona State University, Arizona Board of Regents.

Gould, E. (P.I.). Living with Tenure: Gender/sexuality and race/ethnicity in Canadian post-secondary music. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, University of Toronto. 2013-2015. Stauffer, S. L, Contractor. Narrative study of Canadian faculty, with funding for ASU graduate student Isaac Bickmore. $3200.

Stauffer, S. L. (P.I.); Bush, J., & Schmidt, M., ASU School of Music; & Barrett, M., University of Queensland. (2007-2008). The outcomes and values of an effective K-12 music program. National Association of Music Merchants, Sounds of Learning, $64,009.

Stauffer, S. L. (P.I.) & Rippentrop, D. (1995-1996). A comparison of students' creative thinking processes and music compositions produced in two different conditions. Arizona Arts Education Research Institute, $3,000 (plus $500 matching grant funds from both the Scottsdale School District and the Arizona State University College of Fine Arts).

Stauffer, S. L. (PI). (1999-200). The influence of age, composing experience, and sociocultural background in the compositions of children and adolescents. College of Fine Arts Research Council, $4,600.

Stauffer, S. L. with Morton Subotnick, composer. (1995-1996). An investigation of children's compositions and musical thinking processes through the development of interactive CD-ROM composition programs. Institute for Studies in the Arts, Arizona State University, $21,000.

Stauffer, S. L. with Morton Subotnick, composer. (1994-1995). An investigation of children's compositions and musical thinking processes through the development of interactive CD-ROM composition programs. Institute for Studies in the Arts, Arizona State University, $9,710. Reports of the project appeared in: